Arctic Entries

Born in Minnesota, and raised without boundaries. Daddy was a beatnik, Mommy was a belly dancer. All through high school in the Valley, Orion dreamt of living in the big city. Now he’s living the dream in Fairview, or as he and his wife call it: Paradise.

Kristin is a lifelong Alaskan. Her true passion is her community, where she has held positions on the planning committees for such wonderful organizations as Dare To Care, YWCA, Alaska Trucking Association, and the Mayor’s Charity Ball, among many others. Currently, Kristin is the President of the Board of Directors for MDA Alaska. She lives in Anchorage with her two sons, and works as the Sales & Event Planner for Sullivan’s Steakhouse. In her spare time, she still runs the company she opened three years ago, Absolutely Kristin, an event management and production company that helps business find their flair.

Alaska born and raised, Mikey is a photographer, leather worker, and creative type. When he’s not taking pictures, you can find Mikey in his workshop creating things with his hands, hosting community building events throughout Alaska, or hanging out with his four-legged dog child, Boogie. Mikey has a strong sense of adventure, which sometimes gets him into a little bit of trouble.

Ruth grew up in the Matanuska Valley and spent her childhood running wild and barefoot through the hills with all her siblings and more animals than she can count. She moved to the big city after college, and has been privileged to work on some really neat projects: 10 years on the pipeline; 10 years designing and constructing the Anchorage International Airport Concourse C; and three months out in the Aleutian Chain with the U.S. Census Bureau. Currently, Ruth works for a small architectural firm, saving up enough money to travel.

Kimball is a former-Anchorage, now-Seattle based actor and writer. He is a best-selling Off-Broadway playwright and a member of the Dramatist Guild of America. Allen is the creator and host of “Triple Threat with Kimball Allen,” a recurring variety talk show. He has written for several syndicated publications such as the New York Times and filmed with Comedy Central and Amazon studios. He is thrilled to be back in Anchorage.

Born and raised in rural Alaska, Danielle is Yupik Eskimo—a self-proclaimed weekend warrior, adventure schemer, community racer, gear hoarder, proud dog owner, wife and soon-to-be first time mom. She’s found many ways to enjoy this great state, such as skiing, running, climbing, and mountaineering, which have all led to exciting adventures, but none have yet topped the adventure she’s going to share on stage tonight.

Growing up in Valdez, Sarah ate more salmon and caribou than beef and pork, which means Alaska is literally in her bones. She went away to college in Utah but dreamed of Alaska every day. She called herself “Sarah from Alaska” to the point where people didn’t know her actual last name. Two years after completing two degrees, she finally decided it was time to move back. Now she works as a social worker in Anchorage—she’s finally home.

Angel was born in Anchorage in 1988. Her 11-year journey in and out of foster care led her to becoming adopted at 16, and an active member of River in the Desert Community Church(RDCC) and Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA). She is now married, with 6 step-children, and works for the Fostering Futures Initiative, training volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA’s) to be mentors for foster youth aging out of the system.

Jeff works as a trial lawyer with Ashburn & Mason, although he still harbors hope that the CDC will hire him as an international consultant. He loves all things outdoors, especially when they involve his wife Hanley, his famous daughters Maggie and Bridget, and their oversized Newfoundland, Abby.

Born and raised in Alaska, with family roots in the Interior and Southeast Alaska, Agatha is a diehard policy and political wonk who enjoys spending time outdoors, when she isn’t watching C-Span or Gavel to Gavel. She is an avid “urban” subsistence user, putting away her own fish and berries. She is always on the search for a bigger, better blueberry patch and when she finds it, she won’t be telling you.

Jack is a mild-mannered middle school teacher by day (Go, Central Huskies!) and a wild and crazy doggy dad at night. The adjectives may have gotten switched in that statement...

A second generation born-and-raised Alaskan, Katrina feels as if she has been living here since the 1950’s, considering all of the old timer stories she’s heard and reheard in her lifetime. She is now an elementary school teacher for the ASD and a mother of a wild three-year-old little girl, loving life and embracing each and every wonderful day. However, some days require a bit more wine than others! Cheers!

Penny was raised in Sitka (the most beautiful town in the state, if you didn’t know!) and moved to Anchorage a year ago. Her university and graduate education as a Nanook and Hoya was split by a stint with the U.S. Peace Corps in Nicaragua, which was full of mangoes, hammocks and hard work down in the dirty grassroots. When she’s not working at her current nonprofit job, which combines her dual passions of Arctic issues and energy policy, you can find her teaching indoor cycling classes or making kombucha.

Mary came to Alaska in the 1970’s and has worked many jobs: gardener, housekeeper, mapmaker, wife, and mom. Upon retiring from a career in civil engineering, she became the burning soul of Ravens Roost Cohousing.

Chris is the Director of Sustainability and Dining Services at Alaska Pacific University. He lives his life as a true nerd; anything science, especially marine science, will float his boat. Here, Chris details an encounter with a true beast of the depths during his pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from APU.

Susanne, a native New Yorker, visited Vermont in 1985 with only a cat, a Karmann Ghia, and a guitar. Just over the border, the car broke down, the guitar was bartered to the tow truck man, and the cat ran away. Despite what others might have taken as ill omens, Susanne decided that Vermont was the perfect place to call home. In addition to being a jazz drummer and a storyteller, Susanne teaches workshops on how to take the funny and poignant events in human lives and turn them into stories that heal, inspire, and entertain listeners (sueschmidtcomedy.com). Susanne is also a professor for Southern New Hampshire University’s graduate program in Clinical Mental Health, a job she keeps because it enables her to have brunch monthly in Anchorage at the Snow City Cafe. She is honored to be part of this Arctic Entries event. musician profile

Anonymous hates writing bios. But she can tell a story! There you have it.

Since moving to Alaska in 1981, Wendy Withrow has: played guitar and sung regularly at the Renaissance faire, Anchorage Folk Festival, and Downtown Market; acted in numerous Alaska Ove- nighters and one UAA Mainstage production; had a full-length play in Play Lab at the 2000 Last Frontier Theatre Festival; won the 2009 Radical Arts for Women short story contest; and—most importantly—raised a fine daughter, who performed with her at RenFaire and organized the first poetry slam ever at Bates College.

Shawna without a C loves vintage wares and mixing the tastiest cocktails this side of the Yukon.

Schawna landed her first job in Alaska working at a set-net site in Kodiak catching pink salmon, and from there went on to a career in Alaska politics. When people ask her, “Why politics?” she always answers, “Well, it’s never boring!” She lives in Spenard but uses every opportunity to get out into the Alaska wilderness with her husband Michael Powell, to run, hike or ski.